India's planned coal mining capacity nearly doubled in 2025 to 638 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) from 329 mtpa a year earlier, according to a report by Global Energy Monitor, a U.S.-based energy research group. The increase accounted for almost all of the growth in the global coal project pipeline, which expanded 11% to 2,521 mtpa. The data, published on August 13, 2026, highlights New Delhi's efforts to boost domestic coal production to meet rising power demand, even as renewable energy capacity expands rapidly and analysts expect global coal demand growth to slow.
India's coal pipeline nearly doubles
India's proposed coal mine capacity surged roughly 94% year-on-year to 638 mtpa, with most of the new capacity concentrated in the eastern states of Jharkhand and Odisha, the report showed. The expansion aligns with government production targets of nearly 1.15 billion metric tonnes in fiscal 2025/26 and 1.5 billion tonnes by 2030. Global Energy Monitor's figures for India's proposed capacity now exceed the previous year's level by more than 300 mtpa, a scale of growth that the report said drove the global pipeline higher.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| India proposed coal mine capacity, 2025 | 638 mtpa |
| India proposed coal mine capacity, prior year | 329 mtpa |
| Global coal project pipeline | 2,521 mtpa (up 11%) |
| Global new capacity additions, 2025 | 113 mtpa (down nearly 40%) |
| India fiscal 2025/26 production target | ~1.15 billion metric tonnes |
| India 2030 production target | 1.5 billion tonnes |
Global pipeline grows despite demand forecasts
The global pipeline of proposed coal projects rose 11% to 2,521 mtpa, with India contributing almost all of the net growth, according to Global Energy Monitor. This build-up in planned capacity comes despite International Energy Agency forecasts that global coal demand will plateau by 2030. The energy research group also observed that wind and solar overtook coal in the global electricity mix for the first time in 2025, a structural shift that underscores the demand-side risk facing coal producers.
New capacity additions fall in China and Australia
While proposals expanded, actual new capacity additions fell nearly 40% in 2025 to 113 mtpa, driven by declines in China and Australia, the report said. That marks a clear divergence between India's expanding project pipeline and the slowdown in new mine development in other major coal-producing regions. The report's data show that, at the global level, fewer mines are actually reaching construction despite a larger queue of proposed projects.
Risks for producers
The rapid growth in planned mining capacity could leave producers exposed if coal demand weakens faster than expected, the report said.
Global Energy Monitor cautioned that India's rapid planned build-out could expose producers if demand falls faster than projected. For commodity traders and procurement teams tracking thermal coal supply, the statistics point to a potential future increase in Indian output, while the drop in capacity additions and the IEA's plateau forecast suggest limited appetite for new supply elsewhere. Renewables overtaking coal in the electricity mix adds a structural demand-side risk to the long-term outlook for coal markets.
Sources:
